Iran continued to shelter more than 160 terrorists with Bahraini nationality

Manama : Iran continue to shelter more than 160 terrorists whose Bahraini nationality had been revoked and who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in terror cases in which 25 policemen were killed and more than 3,000 police personnel injured, including many left with permanent disabilities,  said Bahrain Interior Minister Lt-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

HE the Interior Minister highlighted this while speaking to the daily ‘Asharq Al Awsat’ on Tuesday on the sidelines of his participation in the Bahrain International Defence Exhibition & Conference (BIDEC 2017). He also congratulated Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Commander-in-Chief His Excellency Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and Commander of the Royal Guard and President of the Supreme Committee of BIDEC 2017 His Highness Colonel Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa. 

He said that those arrested had confessed to receiving training on the use of weapons and bomb-making in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards camps where the recruits were in the age group of 20-40 years.

He said the seized material smuggled into Bahrain from Iran included 24kg of high-grade explosives, besides Iranian financial and logistical support to carry out terrorist acts. The hostile Iranian attitude towards Bahrain took the form of negative official statements that numbered 254 in 2011, in addition to the negative role of 71 multi-language channels financed by Iran.

HE the Interior Minister said that Bahrain had repeatedly warned about the Iranian interference in the internal security of Bahrain and the region through its cells and sectarian organisations. He said the dangerous Iranian interference focused on exporting extremism and sectarianism and required regional and international efforts to eliminate the roots of terrorism, especially the Iranian role in financing militias and supplying them with weapons.   

Interior Minister has congratulated His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, for the massive success of the Bahrain International Defence Exhibition & Conference (BIDEC 2017) which he described as a national achievement for the Kingdom of Bahrain.